Combined harrow and grass seeder



Nov. 24,1925. 1 1,563,26

s. P. CURTIS V COMBUIED HARROW AND GRASS SEEDER 1924 r 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Nov. 24,1925. 1,563,261

S. P. CURTIS CQMBINED HARROW AND GRASS SEEDER filed Au 50,.1924 s Sheets-Sheet Ivy-' INVENTOR I HY wn-uzss: ATTORNEY Nov. 24,1925. 1,563,261

s. P. CURTIS I COMBINED HARROW AND GRASS SEEDER Filed Aug. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet :5

%% gm v INVENTOR WITNESS: ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

mm ()liF-FLCEI...

smon. PETER CURTIS, on Missouri: VALLEY, 10m.

COMBINED HARRUW AND GRASS SEEDER4" Application filed-August 30, 1924. Serial No. 73 5,2095

T 0 all wih'omzz'ti may concern: i

Be. it known thatl; SIMON'LIP; CURrIs a 1 citizen of the United States zresidi'ng atMise' souri Valley, in: the county: of Harrison and: State of Iowa; have invented.new andvusew fnl i Improvements in Combined Harrows:

of whichthe following is and Grass'Seeders,

This iinventioni relates to agricultural. implements: and has for it-ss'object. the zsprovision of 1a novel seeder rand barrow," the hart-:- row "itself beingof;peculianxconstruction and foldablenwhereby it may be 2-; drawn-.1 along 1 1 throughcomparatively narrow gateways, i across small: bridges; and; the likeswithout, 1 it beingvnecessary tondismantlethe machine.

and; load :it *upon awagon or the 1 like.-

An important: obj ect: is thewprovisioni of a machine of this character: provided with: means. whereby the harrow may beilifted 5 out of engagement: with the ground whereby to i facilit ate. transportation when: not in: use.

Another object is the provision: of-avpe cullar mechanism whereby "theemam harrow maybe lifted and .themainiframe be also: liftedv with? respect to the surface'traveled- 1 A further object is the provision'of axmachine of this. character embodying: many, details. of construction and;' arrangement; of parts. which. willbe manifests improvement and which will facilitate (the use:

Antadditional object is thep rovisio1rof a machine of this: character WlllClli will .be simple and inexpensive inmanufacture, easy 1. to operate andcontrol, positive in action,- eflicient'and durable in service,andwazgen eral improvement in; the art;

ith the above and. other; objects fllldiiLCl-v vantages 1n vlew, the.lIlVGHtlOl'l COllSlSilS inwthe detailsof constructionvto be. hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illusv trated in the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a planiview of the device: in

fully operative position.

Figure 2 is an endaview wit'hl-the. normal" posltlon shown in full lines, :and the-swung;

Figure 4; is a detail. perspective-view of 9 one of the supportingarms of the side barrow members.

Figure :5 .is a detail. view: illustrating the. mounting; of one of the rear; arms of the. side .harrow members. a

Figure 6' is ra detail perspective. view of the i supporting member which carries the main harrow: V

Figure; 7 is a* fragmentary detail view illustrating; the mounting;,;for the wheels? whereby the main: frame .maywbe adjusted. up 1 or down; h

Figure 1 8Y-is .a section; on Figure 7.

Figure .9 is :axdetail fragmentary-sectional View" illustrating: the mechanism for raising; and loweringgthe main: harrowt Figure 10 .isaa detailperspective view 0f the: line 8+8 :of i

oneof the stop brackets JfOI preventing,

and. equipped: with any suitable: draft der vice .13 secured intany, desiredmanner tor the 1 forward cross bar. withthe "next to-theforward cross bar 12 asshownat 14: 3lS an-evener115 fromwhichu isususpendedt .bylink elements 16, an: H shaped framel? whichis similarly suspends edwfrom'the rear cross member. 12 by other chains. .18;

Mounted .below the-H shaped frame mems ber; 17 and suspended therefrom ZISzfOI in stance bymeansiof links: 19 is the main harrow 20 formed asa suitable frame 21 having a plurality of teeth- 22 depending therefrom; It should also be st-ated that'the mainframe is equipped'witha seat 23 for the accommodation of the-operator.

SQCUIGdx'LlPOIl the sides of the main frameareguide's 24: within whichnare slidable blocks or platesi25 from which'project stubs" 26v on. which are journaled ground engaging wheels 27. For regulating the position of the mainframe with? respect to the ground traveled over, I provide, at eachlsideaof the machine, an-elongated lever 28 which is PlVe' otedaat '29 upon: the mainiframe andt'formed with a slot 30. engaging a l pin :31 on the plate orblock 25;- The-le'vers 28ers Flexibly 'connected;:.95

equipped with grip release latching pawls 82 cooperating with notched segments 33. Obviously, by adjusting these levers it is apparent that the plates or blocks may be moved within the guides so that the height of the main frame above the surface travelled over may be adjusted.

For raising and lowering the main harrow member 20, I provide a lever 34 whicl. is pivoted at 35 and equipped with a grip release latching pawl 36 cooperating with a notched segment 37 mounted on the main frame. The lever 34 is operatively connected with a crank arm 38 with which is pivotally connected a link 39 which; is in turn pivotally connected with the central portion of the E l-shaped frame 17. By adjusting the lever 34 it is quite evident that the height of the frame 17 may be varied so that the harrow suspended therefrom may be withdrawn from engagement with the ground when the device is being moved from place to place.

The evener 15 projects beyond both side members 11 of the main frame 10, and pivoted at 40 upon the proiecting ends are arms 41 adapted to be held in horizontal position in alinement or registration with the evener 15 by means of pins 42 passing through registering holes in the inner ends of the arms 41 and the outer ends of the evener. Secured on the rear ends of the side bars 11 are bracket devices 43 of angular shape formed with holes 45 and 46. The numeral 47 designates arms somewhat similar to the arms 41 but disposed at the rear end of the machine. These arms 47 are pivoted by means of bolts 48 which pass therethrough and through the holes 46 in the bracket members 43. The arms 47 are provided with extensions or lugs 49 formed with holes 49 through which may be passed bolts 50 which may be engaged through the holes 45 for holding the arms 47 in vertical position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. Ordinarily, the arms 47 are in horizontal position as shown by full lines in the same figure. In other words, the bolt 50 functions in exactly the same manner as the pins 42 asso ciated with each of the front arm members 41. At their outer ends the arms 47 carry suitably journaled grooved rollers 51 located withinyoke-like guides 52.

The numeral 53 designates the auxiliary or side harrows which are mounted at the sides of the main harrow 20 outwardly of the sides 11 of the main frame 10. These side harrows 53 include the usual frames 54 having adjustably mounted teeth 55 depending therefrom.

These side harrows 53 are equipped with the usual control levers 56 having the ordinary and well known grip release locking devices 57 which cooperate with notched segments 58 and which are provided for the purpose of adjusting the angular inclination of the teeth 55. These side harrows are held in association with the remainder of the machine by means of chains 59 which are connected with the outer ends of the harrow frames and which are trained over the guide rollers 51 with their inner ends detachably connected with hooks 60 carried by the main frame. Secured on the main frame are hooklike brackets 61 upon which may be en gaged the inner sides of the harrows 53 when it is desired to elevate them into the vertical position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. After the side harrows have been engaged on these hook members 61 it is ap parent that pulling upon the chains 59 will operate to swing the harrows after which the chains are intended to be reengagcd with the hooks 60 for holding the harrows against subsequent downward swinging.

To avoid crowding of these side harrows 53 against the ground engaging wheels of the machine, I provide a suitable number of stop brackets 62 secured upon the rear portions of the main harrow 20 and adapted to be engaged by the side harrows 53 for limiting their swinging movement toward the center of the machine in case of side draft.

It should also be stated that these side harrows 53 are suspended from the arms 41 by means of links 63 and it is apparent that this connection will to a certain extent operate to prevent the side sway or swinging of the harrow members.

In order that the device may be used for sowing grass or the like, if preferred, I make use of a conventional seeder mechanism including a hopper 64 mounted on the forward portion of the main frame 10 and containing any suitable seed dropping mechanism, not shown, operated by means of a shaft 65 which projects beyond one end of the hopper. Mounted on this projecting end of the shaft is a sprocket 66 about which is trained a chain 67 which extends rearwardly and which is also trained about the sprocket 68 carried by one of the ground engaging wheels 27. Obviously, when the device is drawn along, the seed dropping mechanism will be operated by this chain drive and will 1 sow grass seed or the like.

In the operation, it will be apparent that normally the side harrow members 53 are in alinement with the main or central harrow member 20 so that a large area may be cultivated in a very satisfactory manner. By manipulating the levers -28 it is apparent that the height of the main frame above the ground travelled over may be varied and by manipulating the lever 34 it is apparent that the main harrow member 20 may be with drawn entirely from engagement with the ground, this feature being of great impor tance when the device is being transported along roads or the like where its use is not desired.

When it is necessary to transport the de vice through gateways or across narrow bridges and the 11ke,'1t is apparent that 1n addition to raising the main harrow member 20 from the ground, the side harrows 53 may be lifted so that their inner ends are engaged upon the bracket members 61 after which pulling upon the chains 59 will result in swinging the side harrows into a vertical position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2 sothat there will be no interference with the sides of gateways, doorways, bridges or the like. ()bviously, by engaging the chains 59 upon the hooks 60 the side harrows may be held indefinitely in such vertical position until positively and manually returned to normal position. Owing to the provision of the pins42 and 50 it is apparent that when the device is in use the side harrows 53 will be locked firmly so as to be rigid with respect to the main harrow and be consequently incapable of up and down movement with respect thereto. It is likewise true that when the side harrows are in vertical position the pins 50 will operate to lock them in such position and prevent them from accidentally falling down.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings, it will be apparent that I have tans provided a comparatively simple, inexpensive and easily operated and controlled combined harrow and seeder which will be of great advantage for the reasons above pointed out and which will efliciently perform all the functions for which it is intended.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment ,of the invention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the inven tion or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In a harrow, a main frame, a main harrow member suspended below said frame, ground engaging wheels for the frame, arms pivotally mounted at the Sides of the main arms against pivotal movement, and means I for swinging said second named harrows upwardly into substantially vertical position.

3. In a device of the character described, a wheel supported main frame, a main harrow suspended therefrom, forward and rear arms pivotally connected with said main frame at the front and back corners there of, means for securing said arms against movement in horizontal or in vertical position, side harrows flexibly suspended between said front and rear arms, means connected with said side harrows for swinging them into vertical position.

4:. In a device of the character described, a wheel supported main frame, a main harrow suspended therefrom, forward and rear arms pivotally connected with said main frame at the front and back corners thereof, means for securing said arms against movement in their vertical or in horizontal position, side harrows flexibly suspended between said front and rear arms, means connected with said side harrows for swinging them into vertical position, and brackets on the sides of the main frame adapted to have the inner sides of the side harrows engaged thereon whereby to serve as fulcrums.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SIMON PETER CURTIS. 

